Emmy nominations make history as online-only 'House of Cards' receives major nominations

The Emmy nominations were led by 'American Horror Story: Asylum' and 'Game of Thrones,' which scored 17 and 16 nods, respectively. The Emmy nominations also honored series such as 'Mad Men' and 'Downton Abbey.'

ByTony Maglio, ReutersJuly 18, 2013

The Emmy nominations made history when they bestowed online-only series 'House of Cards' starring Kevin Spacey (pictured) with a Best Drama nod.

The big question of the day was whether the world of television would welcome an online streaming service to its party. It opened its arms wide, making Netflix the first streaming service to score nods in several major categories.

It was a day of many surprises, including a nod for "Enlightened" star Laura Dern, even though her show HBO show was little-watched and canceled, and "Newsroom" star Jeff Daniels, even though his show received mixed reviews.